I first realized that my phone was a big dirt magnet when I first saw a poster of how phones carry the maximum germs and you need to sterilize your hands before touching the baby at Breach Candy hospital’s maternity ward.
You often take these little things for granted without realizing that something that you can’t live without is actually one of the biggest dirt magnets. When you have a new born you probably use the hand sanitizer bottle very soon and make sure she is safe from all the germs and bacteria. As kids grow older you become less paranoid and the need for sanitizing things settles down and is relatively much less. I am not a big fan of the sanitizer versus an actual wash because of the adverse effects of the alcohol on the delicate skin of our children. The alcohol content actually dries up their skin which is really gentle. I wish we could do that with our phones too.
Did you know?
- There are about 25,000 germs per square inch on the average touch phone.
- 92% of phones have bacteria on them
- 16% of hands and phones have E. coli, a bacteria found in feaces
- 82% of hands have bacteria on them
We knew you wouldn’t believe this so here is a short video of a day in the life of my phone and how it contracts germs every second.
Here are a few common ways that germs find their way to your phone especially for parents who are constantly battling with kids for their phones
- Greeting germs with that hello
- Soon after diaper change it’s a must to wash your hands and all the dirt within your nails too.
- Shopping carts at grocery stores. This one I always prefer cleaning before latching on. I always wipe it with wipes to ensure that the kids who hold onto it are also protected
- Elevator buttons: If you have never paid attention to this one then this has everybody touching their hands on the buttons especially the most commonly used floors will have maximum germs.
- Toys, Balls, Cycles and scooters of children. You may not realize this but those bikes are sometimes parked in areas that are not clean and your children invariably hold on to the same handles to drive it.
- Public Transport: Cabs, prepaid taxis have all been used by multiple users in a day and the handles must be a breeding ground of germs.
- Toilets door knobs and seats: This one is a little gross cause you have no clue if the person before you ended up washing his/her hands or not.
- Using phones in the bathroom
- When they have a cold/cough.
- Sharing sweat
- Contagious cash. Apparently money exchanges many hands in a day and is a breeding ground of germs too.
Warmth breeds bacteria and keeping your phone in the bag, back pockets, purses and constant use, etc breeds more bacteria. These bacteria not only make you feel sick but can also cause irritation to your skin with acne, rashes and allergies.
You can keep your phones clean
- Wiping it with tissue paper
- Using a UV light cleaner
- Using alcohol wipes
- Washing it
However, tissue paper may not be thorough and alcohol wipes are known to cause screen damage. And while UV cleaners are powerful, they are expensive and hard to find. Your phone’s dirty secret is that it’s filthy
It’s hard to imagine life without smartphones, and you really wish you could just wash them off with an anti bacterial wash just like we insist on that with our children. A new website dirtyphones.org, shares more results about the research.
You are always going to be in denial that your phone is clean and not a germ magnet but the truth is most germs are microscopic and not visible to the naked eye. This video is a must watch for all
Surprisingly, phones are known to carry 82% of the most common bacteria which have also been identified on people’s fingers. Would love to know your feedback in the comments below or on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Don’t forget to subscribe to our Youtube channel.
Rushita Sheth
Kanishka Pariani
